Leaning Tower of Pisa

By Bea Freeman

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is 1/4 of the buildings part of a cathedral in Pisa, Italy. The structure is unique, for is it is curved due to the fact it kept leaning over (hence the name). Even though it is only 1/3 of the heigh of the Washington Monument in Washington D.C, it is one of tallest bell tower in Europe. The structure itself is made out of white marble and stands 8 stories tall (including the bell chambers). The bottom story consists of 15 archers, the 2-7 stories 30 and the top 16 ("Leaning Tower of Pisa"). The reason the Leaning Tower of Pisa leans is because it was constructed on soft ground ("Leaning Tower of Pisa Facts").

Diagram

Surface Area Calculations

Volume Calculations

Fun Facts!

- Italian Translation: Torre pendente di Pisa

- There are 294 steps on the north side and 296 steps on the south side of the tower

- It took 800+ years to completely finish

- It weighs 14,500 tons!

- Inside there are seven bells representing each note on the major scale